I-Corps: Surface-ionized personal respiratory protection

这个I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种面罩设计，可能会对多个经济部门产生积极影响，并改善美国约1440万工人的生活。这些工人受雇于每周至少一次接触疾病或感染的职业。医疗保健提供者、消防员、军事医务人员和普通市民都需要改进和更舒适的呼吸机。这个I-Corps项目的基础是开发新的口罩，以防止接触疾病和感染。该面罩利用电流体动力学技术创造了一种新颖的空气加压装置，在尺寸、重量和舒适性方面超越了其他个人防护设备，同时保持了高过滤效率。这种设计的独特优势在于，口罩在呼气和吸气循环中过滤掉所有颗粒，而不会接触佩戴者面部的皮肤。过滤动作发生在沿着面罩的整个周边，距离面部几毫米。空气中存在的颗粒和液滴通过静电力去除。一个舒适的头带保持面罩的位置，它匹配一个舒适的自行车头盔。由于创新的设计是为了避免接触佩戴者的脸，它消除了瘀伤，同时感觉更轻（约454克）。这项技术已被证明比其他个人防护设备佩戴起来更舒适。加上一个透明的面罩，这种面具不会阻碍佩戴者的面部，听力受损的人可以通过唇读阅读进行交流。此外，该口罩可以消毒，并可重复使用，以减少环境浪费。该口罩的成功应用将改善包括医疗保健和交通运输在内的各种不同领域的生活。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a face mask design that may positively impact multiple economic sectors and better the lives of about 14.4 million workers in the United States. These workers are employed in occupations where exposure to disease or infection occurs at least once per week. The need for improved and more comfortable respirators includes healthcare providers, firefighters, military medical personnel, and everyday citizens. This I-Corps project is based on the development of new masks to prevent exposure to disease and infection. The mask leverages electrohydrodynamic technology to create a novel air pressurizing device that surpasses other personal protection equipment in terms of size, weight, and comfortability, while maintaining a high filtration efficiency. The unique advantage of this design is that the mask filters out all particles in both exhaling and inhaling cycles without touching the skin of the wearer’s face. The filtering action takes place along the entire perimeter of the mask, a few millimeters away from the face. Particles and droplets present in the air are removed with electrostatic forces. A comfortable headband keeps the mask in place, and it matches the comfort of a well-fitted bicycle helmet. Since the innovation is designed to avoid contact with the wearer’s face, it eliminates bruising while feeling lighter (at about 454 grams). This technology has been shown to be more comfortable to wear than other personal protection equipment. With the addition of a clear face shield, this mask does not obstruct the face of the wearer and those who are hearing impaired can communicate through lip reading. Furthermore, the mask can be sterilized and is reusable, so as to reduce environmental waste. The successful adoption of the mask will improve lives across a variety of different sectors, including healthcare, and transportation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.